Operation Coal Shovel begins; U.S., Canadian Coast Guard units team up to keep waterways open

Friday

Jan 4, 2013 at 12:01 AM

The winter of 2013 could prove to be more of a “real” winter, the United States Coast Guard anticipates.

By MIKE FORNESmike@cheboygantribune.com

The winter of 2013 could prove to be more of a “real” winter, the United States Coast Guard anticipates.The service with the motto of “always ready” began seasonal domestic ice breaking operations Thursday in the southern part of Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair and Detroit River systems, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Operation Coal Shovel has commenced involving the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard units in an effort to work together to prevent ice jams in vital economic waterways as conditions worsen throughout the winter.Mild temperatures last winter meant icebreakers weren’t even needed in the lower lakes and Operation Coal Shovel was not conducted in 2012.After a brief respite for holiday time with families, the Mackinaw’s crew departed for the St. Marys River to conduct reconnaissance in the narrow passages and river routes the Mac soon will see in heavier icebreaking duties later this winter. The summer influx of new crew means there are plenty of sailors on board who never have seen the St. Marys River and the trip affords a chance for a look at markers, shoals and navigation points before the entire scene is white with ice and snow. Thursday, the Mackinaw was in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. — a location that can become a traffic jam if ice is not kept moving away from the locks and down the river toward the DeTour Passage. The situation is the same in the lower lakes.Ice jams can create a disruption to the flow of maritime commerce, so the icebreakers work diligently to flush ice down the river to facilitate transportation of vital winter cargoes. U.S. and Canadian crew-members coordinate, conduct and track maintenance, provide vessel assistance and conduct flushing operations to minimize the potential for residential flooding. The mission of Operation Coal Shovel is to quickly re-open the Great Lakes maritime transportation system for the movement of commercial vessels that may become beset in the ice.Operation Taconite — ahead on the Mac’s operations schedule later this winter — is based in the Straits of Mackinac region and includes the St. Marys River once the Soo Locks open. Operation Coal Shovel is based in Detroit.Coast Guard Sector Detroit provides command and control for Operation Coal Shovel and may close or open the waterways as ice conditions dictate. Sector Detroit and Coast Guard Canada will continue to monitor and identify declining waterway conditions and potential hazardous ice conditions. Sector Detroit also considers the protection of the marine environment and waterways, aids to navigation, the need for cross channel traffic when ferryboats need to run, the availability of icebreakers and the safety of the island residents who use naturally formed ice bridges for transportation to and from the mainland when making closure decisions.Ice bridges did not form last year in the Straits and it remains to be seen whether this winter’s temperatures will drop low enough and long enough for the deep freeze required to cross to area islands from the mainland.